[PT Spoilers] Why Wait?

[vultur]

I don't think Lea can be standing in for Mab while Mab handles the Gates in disguise as Lea, though it's a great idea.

She says that "my second" informed her about the Gate. Lea is Mab's second, but if Mab and Lea had swapped identities, I think the Faerie inability to lie would keep Lea from describing Mab that way. She would have had to say something like "our commander on site"...

Now maybe Lea has her own "second" but... Also, Corb seems to have actually angered Mab with references to her mortal life.

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Molly certainly. Sarissa probably. Titania no.

Yeah, I think Titania will continue to do nothing useful.

Molly will surely be involved, and I guess her "personal guard" or "retinue" or whatever, though the rest of Winter (except Harry) is occupied at the Gates.

It is undermine the defence of the gates, by forcing a split in Mab’s attention.

I don't know. I kind of think that Ethniu is using the Outsider attack to distract Winter from her plans, rather than vice versa.

But I guess the larger question is... given that Mab's Purpose is defense of reality against the Outside, how do the Accords benefit that? And why are they needed "now" - it seems like the Accords are a relatively recent innovation?

[Mira]

She says that "my second" informed her about the Gate. Lea is Mab's second, but if Mab and Lea had swapped identities, I think the Faerie inability to lie would keep Lea from describing Mab that way. She would have had to say something like "our commander on site"...

Yes, but couldn't Rashid be considered more so?  I mean we learned in Cold Days that he is more or less the general in charge of the defense of the Gates.

Yeah, I think Titania will continue to do nothing useful.

I think you are wrong there, Summer is Winter's back up, if the Outsiders breech the Gates she stands to lose as well.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Winter are the CIA and Summer the FBI, summer is a fraction of the size of Winter as regards it’s military force, Titania can’t add significantly to the defence of Chicago as regards manpower, but may attend if told that there is a significant chance that Harry Dresden may die horribly, it would cheer her up enormously and clearly something she wouldn’t want to miss.

As I have have had said previously that Harry gets Mab and Titania to agree on something for the first time since 1066 through both of them being furious with him. Harry acheives his aims his way, not necessarily the Fae way.

[Arjan]

I don't think Lea can be standing in for Mab while Mab handles the Gates in disguise as Lea, though it's a great idea.

She says that "my second" informed her about the Gate. Lea is Mab's second, but if Mab and Lea had swapped identities, I think the Faerie inability to lie would keep Lea from describing Mab that way. She would have had to say something like "our commander on site"...

Now maybe Lea has her own "second" but... Also, Corb seems to have actually angered Mab with references to her mortal life.

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Yeah, I think Titania will continue to do nothing useful.

Molly will surely be involved, and I guess her "personal guard" or "retinue" or whatever, though the rest of Winter (except Harry) is occupied at the Gates.

I don't know. I kind of think that Ethniu is using the Outsider attack to distract Winter from her plans, rather than vice versa.

But I guess the larger question is... given that Mab's Purpose is defense of reality against the Outside, how do the Accords benefit that? And why are they needed "now" - it seems like the Accords are a relatively recent innovation?

The outsider threat is increasing as the stars are getting right. Nemesis is trying to destabilise this reality behind winters lines. The accords are one way of working against that. It is already working with Ethniu, Mab gets allies against her she would not have without the accords. And whether Ethniu is infected or thinks she can use them the outsiders want the accords dissolved, that is the reason Ethniu does not just attack without first getting them together.

[Snark Knight]

The Erlking is Wild Faye immensely dangerous and not an Accords Member, it would require a real idiot to summon the Erlk..... oh never mind. Harry is an accredited leader of the Wild Hunt since Cold Days, he could summon them and lead them into battle, especially riding Sue.

Wait, where are you getting that the Erlking isn't on the Accords?  He certainly seemed to be from Changes and Cold Days.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Wait, where are you getting that the Erlking isn't on the Accords?  He certainly seemed to be from Changes and Cold Days.

In Changes Guest right pre-dates the Accords, and applies to pretty much the entire Never Never, not just the Accorded Nations. Erl refers to Harry as an unexpected guest, and Harry seizes upon that to his advantage.

In Cold days Erl is a guest of Mab, it’s a chance for him to catch up on people he normally doesn’t get much opportunity to meet, Kringle/Odin is the same.

This is why Erl isn’t present at the Peace Talks, not Accorded nor invited under Guest right. River Shoulders isn’t Accorded yet, but is there under Guest Right, it is most gracious for River to help defend his host.

Odin is guarding the Never Never from incursion by the Fomor, if he has any sense he will leave a gap on the FBI building which leads to the ErlKings Hall, see if the Fomor or their allies are foolhardy enough to disturb the Goblins. The will NOT be guests.

[vultur]

Yes, but couldn't Rashid be considered more so?  I mean we learned in Cold Days that he is more or less the general in charge of the defense of the Gates.

I don't think he could really be considered Lea's "second", since he's not under her authority. He's a cooperating ally, not actually a member of Winter's forces. (And the Gatekeeper's job seems to be checking for Nemesis in the returning forces... Mab, or Lea when she's not there, is the general.)

I think you are wrong there, Summer is Winter's back up,

Titania's job is to protect mortals/the mortal world from Mab. She's a balance to Mab's power, not really a backup. Fighting the Fomor/Ethniu by Mab's side isn't part of that.

if the Outsiders breech the Gates she stands to lose as well.

Certainly (just like any other "Inside" being of this reality) but she certainly wasn't interested in helping in CD. She doesn't seem terribly rational.

Titania can’t add significantly to the defence of Chicago as regards manpower, but may attend if told that there is a significant chance that Harry Dresden may die horribly, it would cheer her up enormously and clearly something she wouldn’t want to miss.

Now that might happen. But even if she shows up I don't think she will be very helpful.

[Mira]

I don't think he could really be considered Lea's "second", since he's not under her authority. He's a cooperating ally, not actually a member of Winter's forces. (And the Gatekeeper's job seems to be checking for Nemesis in the returning forces... Mab, or Lea when she's not there, is the general.)

I'm not so sure of that, his robes are Winter's colors for example.  The scene in Cold Days when he is on a magic carpet seemingly directing the troops, he is a lot more than a Nemesis x-ray machine.
That is why his actual job description is so secret.

Titania's job is to protect mortals/the mortal world from Mab. She's a balance to Mab's power, not really a backup. Fighting the Fomor/Ethniu by Mab's side isn't part of that.

Summer is a check on Winter if it gets out of line.. However I seem to remember I believe it was Mother Summer telling Harry they switch roles eon to eon protecting the Gates.  However the main point is, if the Fomor/Ethniu side wins, she isn't going to have any mortals to protect is she? So I
seriously doubt she is going to sit this one out, Sarrisa certainly isn't..  Here is a wild thought that just entered my sleep deprived mind based on Christmas Eve.. Sorry, not a whole lot of logic, but Titania might even get killed in Battle Ground and Sarrisa is the new Summer Queen, which would be the beginning of a new era of cooperation between the Courts.

Certainly (just like any other "Inside" being of this reality) but she certainly wasn't interested in helping in CD. She doesn't seem terribly rational.

She helped in her own way, or rather she gave the help she was capable of at that moment.. She didn't kill Harry for starters, and she gave him the name of the enemy.  That last was huge, it helped Harry spot that things weren't exactly kosher with Cat Sith, he otherwise wouldn't have been on his guard.

[Second Aristh]

As far as the timing for Ethniu, I think we can chalk that up to her Black Council allies.  Ethniu may be brave enough to bully Mab, but Winter > Mab.  Ethniu needs Winter pinned down by Outsiders (which is what the new kids in the BC can promise her). 

The rest of the Fomor's actions/timing could possibly be explained with showmanship.  If they can break the Accords by discrediting Mab, the Fomor won't have to fight against a united enemy.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

It’s deferent sets of defenders, the Greek gods were the previous defenders, I suspect the Accorded Nations will be the next set of Defenders,

[Bad Alias]

I don't think this is why Ethniu waited, but she could have waited because of the recent, at least to a being thousands of years old, combined explosion of the human population and technology is the reason for the attack. It took a few decades for Ethniu to realize the trend of human civilization was a trend instead of an outlier. Then it took a century or two of planning to set up favorable circumstances. How long did it take Kemmler to engineer WWI? 150 years?

[morriswalters]

Couple of possibilities about why she would wait.  One it could be related to what Peabody did in Turn Coat.  Jim never mentions the ultimate purpose of the mind magic.  Alternately this could be a working and she is going away to give time for the members of the Accords time to tear themselves apart as the working farts with them. Everybody's amped up and reacting in the odd ways.

Jim spends some amount of time talking about how Harry can throw off the effects of the Outsiders and the opening salvo when the corner hounds port in is a mental attack. It makes the why of the Peace Talks a little less random.

[The_Sibelis]

So much has to do with balance in the DF perhaps the opening created by the absence of the Reds is bigger than just the physical holdings? Perhaps, like spreading out the apocalypse or Necronomicon they were taking up a metaphysical space the fomor can now accupy?

[vultur]

Then it took a century or two of planning to set up favorable circumstances. How long did it take Kemmler to engineer WWI? 150 years?

Well, this is kind of the question I'm asking.

If Ethniu can kick Mab through walls without even using the Eye, then she has the Eye of Balor on top of that (which Harry says is probably a "city killer"), and she's immune to any physical force (according to Etri) - why does she need to set anything up? Why does she need an army at all?

I mean, from what we saw of the Red Court at Chichen Itza in Changes, I think Ethniu could have flat out destroyed the Red King and Lords of Outer Night without breaking a sweat. (Their "divine will" attack presumably wouldn't work on a much more powerful god, and without that - they were mostly just somewhat stronger and tougher Rampires.)

So, basically, why were the Fomor ever outcasts in the first place if they're led by someone much stronger than Mab and apparently stronger than Ferrovax?

[Mira]

So, basically, why were the Fomor ever outcasts in the first place if they're led by someone much stronger than Mab and apparently stronger than Ferrovax?

  It apparently is a lot more complicated..  Notice Ethniu made her power statement, and she and the Fomor left.  They had the element of surprise and threw some weight around, but they didn't finish the job.  So maybe they are not as strong as they appear?  Meaning if given a minute to get their act together,  the combined power of Mab, Vadderung, Ferrovax and others may gave taken them.